Best bike racks for cars: Options to carry your bike by car

The best bike racks for cars help you to transport your bike or bikes further afield safely and securely. They're designed so that your bike is easy to mount and dismount and many bike racks for cars are not particularly difficult to attach and remove.

Rear-mounted bike racks may attach to a tow hitch or towball, or to your trunk. The alternative is a roof-mounted rack.

You'll often need some separate components to mount a rack though. That might be a tow hitch, which needs to be fitted to your vehicle, or roof bars to attach the bike rack to. It's worth factoring these in when making a decision about the best bike rack for your needs, as they can add considerable expense above that of the rack itself.

You also need to think about how easy it will be to mount a bike to your rack; a roof rack requires lifting your bike, which may be difficult with a heavier bike or an electric bike or if you've got an SUV or other taller vehicle.

Mounting to the rear of the car may be easier, but you then need to think about whether your number plate and taillights are visible and there will be weight limits on how much you can carry.

We've got more info further down on how to choose the best bike rack for your car and what you should think about when making a decision, but first here are our picks of the best bike racks that we've used and reviewed here at Cyclingnews.

Best bike racks for cars: our picks

Best bike racks for cars: our picks

Want to cut to the chase and find out which are the best bike racks? Here's a list of our top picks from each category, outlining roof racks, trunk racks and tow hitch racks. You can also jump down from each product to a more detailed review if you want to find out more. 

Best bike racks that mount to a hitch or tow-ball

Tow ball or tow hitch - racks are not the cheapest option but they are often the most convenient and accessible to most people. Once you've figured out what will work for your car and sorted the vehicle side, there are some distinct advantages. Choosing a hitch option from our list of one of the best bike racks for cars will often mean a tray-style rack with no possibility of bike, or vehicle, damage. If your vehicle is tall, you don't have to lift a bike over your head and if you leave it on, many will tilt out of the way for easy access. And when you'd rather remove the rack, it's usually easy. 

Positives

• Hitch-mount racks are easy to fit and remove from your car
• Some are foldable when not in use
• Their position means you needn't lift bikes far from the ground
• Some tilt away from the car, allowing access to the boot/trunk
• They are typically compatible with all styles of bike, without axle compatibility concerns

Negatives

• Vulnerable in the event of a crash
• Requires your car to have a tow ball/hitch
• They can obscure your vehicle registration plate and lights, which if left unresolved, can be illegal

Best for easy removal

Not everyone needs to carry a bunch of heavy bikes. Also, not everyone wants to leave their rack attached to the car when not in use. If you only occasionally use a bike rack and you tend to ride alone, or at least drive to the ride alone, then the Rockymounts MonoRail Solo is a perfect choice. 

The price is lower than other options and it's exceptionally light at only 25 lbs. Taking it off the car and storing it is an easy one-handed affair. It also doesn't lock you into your current situation. If you decide you need to start carrying a second bike the MonoRail add-on allows adding capability. 

A few screws and a five-minute transformation will have you ready to double your load capability. For the times when you aren't using the MonoRail add-on, it's just as light and easy to handle as the base unit.   

You can also take a look at our in-depth review of the Rockymounts MonoRail Solo hitch bike rack here

Best for features

Kuat makes some of the best-looking car bike racks on the market. It uses a half-wheel loop design similar to the Thule Pro XT as well as a ratchet strap meaning it can accommodate a range of wheel sizes and tyres of up to 4.8in width. The wheel cradles are adjustable to avoid bikes bumping into each other on the rack and there are removable cable locks. 

The installation process is tool-free and an expanding adaptor takes up space in your car's hitch receiver to eliminate wobbles. The tilt switch can be engaged hands-free and there is even a brilliant bike repair stand built-in for adjustments and repairs.

You can find our in-depth review of the Kuat NV 2.0 here.

Best towbar mounted

Yakima’s FolkClick 2 car bike rack utilises the towbar instead of the hitch receiver and has a surprisingly high weight limit — you can easily carry two e-bikes and still have weight left over. Not only is the rack quick and easy the install but it weighs just 14kg. The big selling point here, however, is its ability to quickly fold away, not to mention the inclusion of a ramp to help you get your bike in place come loading time.

Its design features two wheel-trays as well as arms and clamps to grab onto your bike's frame. A foot pedal unclips the base of the rack to tilt it out of the way so you can quickly get into your trunk. The setup also includes a locking system for both the bikes and rack itself.

Best modular towbar rack

The Saris Modular Hitch System works similarly to roof-mount systems, as you can add or remove capacity to suit your needs. There's a base hitch that attaches to your car, then you add the carriers you need for up to four bikes.

The bikes stand on a tray, which is attached to the hitch mount with security bolts and they are held in place by wheel straps and arms at either end of the tray that push against the tyre.

We found it was easiest to leave the hitch system in place, as it's heavy, and remove the trays when not in use.

You can read more in our full review of the Saris Modular Hitch System bike rack.

Best roof bike racks

The best roof bike racks roof racks attach to cross or roof bars. For some vehicles that will mean factory rails that come pre-installed but even if you've got a flat roof, there are options. Aftermarket brands offer a range of bars to fit the flat roofs of most vehicles with options that range in price and style. There are less expensive square bars or sleek aerodynamic offerings. 

Bikes are then secured to the roof using the frame, front wheel or front axle. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages; however, the key thing to consider is whether you will be able to lift your bike onto the roof in the first place. If you’re driving a tall SUV, consider a hitch or towbar car bike rack, as getting heavy bikes onto the roof can be precarious. For e-bikes, the weight means this style of rack isn't going to work at all. 

Positives

• Easy access to car boot/trunk
• Widely compatible with car types
• Unrestricted view through rear window
• The best roof bike racks offer can cater for the most bikes

Negatives

• The high position makes it harder to load bikes
• You may need to buy roof bars if you don't already have them
• Be careful driving into height-restricted multi-storey car parks

Best for easy bike mounting

The high-end Kuat Piston SR rack comes with an automated, button-actuated system to lock to your bike's wheels. Called One Tap, it's clever but makes the rack about double the price of many other bike racks. There's an accessory to adapt it to work with a bike with mudguards.

The system also makes the rack heavier than other options, so it's not such a good choice if you regularly mount and dismount your bike rack.

There are also gold Kashima coated struts which is the same coating top-end suspension fork stanchions receive. This is arguably a bit much, but it looks really special. 

Best for bikes with mudguards

The Yakima HighSpeed mounts to Yakima's separate roof bars and has the advantage that it's designed to work with mudguards. You need to remove the front wheel to install your bike (no bad thing) and the fork is secured with a thru-axle which has a torque limiter to guard against overtightening which is really handy. 

The rear wheel is secured with a strap, although we found that to be a little lacking in padding if you want to avoid damage to expensive carbon wheels. However, you could perhaps pad this out with a soft cloth if you fear scratches. 

There is zero frame contact from the rack though, so there's no need to worry about carbon tubes being damaged or crushed here. 

If you are travelling with just one bike most of the time to events, trips or races this could be a solid option. The fact you need to remove a wheel keeps things a little more compact on the roof too. 

Best for rear wheel protection

There are a lot of similarities between the Thule Upride and the Yakima HighRoad. We've decided to include them both because they are both high-quality wheel-on options for mounting a bike on top of a car. The front mount of the Yakima is a little bit easier to use while the rear strap on the Thule is a little bit nicer and it's more protective of the rear wheel. 

When it comes to locking, the Thule has the advantage in that there's no cable and instead it's integrated into the rack. The biggest point of differentiation though is going to be the larger system. A key advantage of a roof rack is that it can extend beyond just a single bike rack. If you think you like the other pieces in one system vs the other, you'll want the matching bike rack for that system. 

Best for compatibility

The Tomahawk is simple to use and works with a wide range of bike sizes and wheel sizes, using a front-wheel loop and a wheel stop to secure the bike upright, with a strap around each wheel to keep it secure. It can handle everything from road bikes to fat bike tyre width, covering all the likely requirements. 

The main issue with the rack is that the mount comes into contact with the fork legs, so there's the chance of rubbing your bike's paint, particularly if the bike is dirty. It's not a dealbreaker for us, but whenever we use it, we add in a bit of helicopter tape to protect things. 

Best trunk bike racks

Trunk and boot racks attach to the back of your car using straps, with feet stabilising the whole thing against the car. With best trunk/boot bike racks, installing the rack correctly is paramount. If you don’t have something in the right place or pulled tautly, it can damage the paint on your vehicle. The advantage of trunk mount racks is that they are super light and inexpensive. If it's rare that you use a rack and you just need to occasionally transport an older road bike then these might be worth a look.

Positives

• Usually the simplest and cheapest option
• Simple ratchet-strap fitting so no specific fixings are needed
• Position means it's relatively easy to fit and remove bikes

Negatives

• Restricted view through the rear window
• Restricted access to trunk/boot
• Can be hard to fit bikes without a horizontal top tube
• Can obstruct your car's registration plate and lights, meaning a separate number and light board is required
• The contact points can damage car paintwork

Best trunk rack for quick fitting

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That is the mantra Saris has used with its Bones 2-Bike trunk/boot car bike rack. The design was first introduced in 1996 and hasn't changed all that much since.

It's available in two- and three-bike versions and is made from 100 per cent recyclable materials and everything from the articulating feet to the arms are adjustable to make the rack fit onto just about any car — including those with small spoilers. 

The arm that supports the bikes is curved which provides extra clearance, and the seatpost strap prevents the bikes from wobbling around too much when everything is mounted. Unfortunately, the front wheel is still free to move around, although this is something that even the best car bike racks of this style fail to efficiently address.

Best to avoid numberplate overhang

The Thule OutWay bike rack sits the bikes on a platform, rather than the normal system which suspends the bike from the top tube. That means that the bike is immobilised better and it's also lifted above the car's numberplate, so you don't need a separate plate to stay legal.

There are steel cables that attach the rack to a car to help increase security and peace of mind. It's still also possible to open your boot or trunk with the bikes removed but the rack still attached to the car. Which will make grocery runs and the like a lot easier on a trip for example. 

 On the flip side, the rack is heavier and more expensive than other trunk-mounted options. 

Best budget option

This affordable and foldable bike rack from Decathlon can carry up to three bikes, and is designed to sit high up so it doesn't get in the way of your registration plate or rear lights. When not in use it folds flat and can be easily stored away until you need it again.

It features adjustable straps for a good fit, and the feet that come into contact with the car are rubberised to protect the paintwork. It does come with some padding to protect your bike frames from damage, however, we'd also recommend supplementing it with a bit extra to be safe.

Bikes that don't feature a horizontal top tube will need an adapter to hold them in place.

Small stored footprint

If you're looking for something simple and budget-friendly, the Hollywood F9 Express E3 bike rack could be the ticket. Able to transport up to three bikes at a time, it's super sturdy and capable, as long as you use all six of its straps to achieve adequate grip on a solid area of your car. Without this there's a risk of wobbling.

To keep things as simple as possible, the rack arrives readily assembled, so there's no need to scratch your head with an instruction manual (as many of us are loathe to do), and when it's not in use you can fold it neatly away into the boot for storage.

Rubber tabs keep the car's paintwork protected, while the bike frames are shielded from each other with rubber separators.

How to choose the best bike rack for you

There are quite a few things to consider when choosing the best bike rack for your needs. The main issue is whether a rack will work both with your car and with your bike, as we explain below. You also need to consider how easy it is to mount and dismount your bike from the rack. If it's a two-person job and you usually travel solo with your bike, that's a problem. 

If you are making a sizeable investment, it's a good idea to consult your car manufacturer and the rack manufacturer to ensure the model you like will actually fit your car.

Here's what to think about when choosing the best bike rack for you.